Noor Riyadh 2024 Preview Night Is Radiant Prelude to World’s Largest Light Art Festival
The Noor Riyadh 2024 Preview Night provided an exclusive first look at the festival, with curated tours at the King Abdulaziz Historical Center and a drone show by United Visual Artists.
The fourth edition of Noor Riyadh showcases 60 installations by 60 artists from 18 countries, transforming Riyadh into a gallery without walls.
The festival runs from 28 November to December 14 across three iconic hubs: King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and the JAX District.
Under the umbrella of Riyadh Art, Noor Riyadh’s 2024 Preview Night illuminated the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, offering a first glimpse at the festival. The evening brought together artists, curators, and dignitaries to preview the world’s largest light art festival, under the theme Light Years Apart.
Following welcome speeches from Riyadh Art Program director Architect Khalid Al-Hazani and Noor Riyadh festival director Nouf AlMoneef, festival curators Dr. Effat Abdullah Fadag and Dr. Alfredo Cramerotti led guests on guided tours of the 18 artworks surrounding Murabba Palace.
London-based artist collective United Visual Artists transformed the night sky into a living canvas with a preview of their drone show, Aether. Featuring 1,500 drones, the seven-minute performance explores the silent harmony of the stars and planets as it brings the unseen into view.
Noor Riyadh 2024 features 18 Saudi artists and 43 international artists, with representation from Australia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
Noor Riyadh integrates public art displays with workshops, talks, and community events, offering a unique blend of cultural enrichment and creative expression. Noor Riyadh won 14 Guinness World Records, cementing its reputation as the largest and most impactful light art festival in the world.
The festival underscores Riyadh Art’s mission of transforming the Saudi capital into an open-air gallery. Since 2019, the Riyadh Art Program has presented over 500 artworks by more than 500 artists and attracted over 6 million visitors through its flagship festivals, Noor Riyadh and Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium.
